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A supercruising combat aircraft is a high priority of the Chinese navy, the country’s top admiral says in a revealing official interview that gives strong clues of perceived shortcomings and future directions for the maritime force.

Adm. Wu Shengli also says China must step up work on precision missiles that can overcome enemy defenses, and the nation should move faster in developing large combat surface ships—probably meaning the aircraft carrier program that looks increasingly imminent (AW&ST Jan. 5, p. 22).

Wu’s demand for supercruise—supersonic flight without afterburner—hints that such performance will be available from the next Chinese fighter, sometimes called the J-XX.

“One possibility is that the J-XX is being designed for supercruise and that Wu is trying to build support for a naval version of the aircraft,” says Richard Bitzinger, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

The design of the J-XX is unknown. It could be a new aircraft or quite possibly a development of the J-10, a fighter now entering service.

The J-10’s configuration is similar to that of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which the manufacturer says can supercruise at Mach 1.5, although it is likely to be somewhat slower with a useful external load.

For the Chinese navy, one advantage of supercruising would be the ability to cover a large defensive area in less time—quite useful if the imagined target is a U.S. carrier group at long range.

Importantly, Wu lists a supercruising fighter among a series of technological demands that all look quite achievable for the Chinese navy over the next decade or so, suggesting that he does not regard such flight performance as a pie in the sky.

“Sophisticated equipment is the key material basis for winning a regional naval war,” says the admiral, evidently referring to the possibility of a confrontation in the Taiwan Strait. “We must accelerate and promote steps to work on key weapons.

“We must develop new-generation weapons such as large surface combat ships, stealthy long-endurance submarines, supercruising combat aircraft, precision long-range missiles that can penetrate defenses, as well as deep-diving, fast and intelligent torpedoes, and electronic combat equipment offering compatibility and commonality.”

Turkish press reports yesterday confirmed the unprecedented involvement of PLA air force jets in Turkey's annual joint exercises, known as Anatolian Eagle, held over the centre of the country last week.

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While reports in Turkey's Zaman newspaper describe Turkish F-16s staging combat drills with Chinese Su-27s, some military analysts believe the PLA would have been far more likely to have sent its more advanced J-11Bs.

AE trainings are realized in close-to-real war environment, with a scenario from easy to hard, with the advantage of high technology and by monitoring the quality of the trainings on the computer environment. The aim is to test the knowledge and abilities of all participants, to raise the level of the training by detecting the hitches and deficiencies.

The fundamental of the scenario consists of the attack of BLUE team with Combined Air Operation (COMAO) on the tactical and strategic targets in RED lands which are defended by fighter aircrafts and SAM systems.

The White Headquarters, sort of the brain of AE in which the AE crew works, is the center building in which the trainings are planned and the statistical studies are carried out.

Command Control Center is the headquarters in which the information (location, position and flight information) of aircrafts, which are transferred through ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation), can be observed in real-time. The tracks detected by AWACS and land radars and real-time searching, locking and shooting images of SAM and anti-aircraft systems can be observed. Also the MASE (Multi Aegis Site Emulator) Operation Center, Anatolian Eagle sorties and daily base flights are controlled and commanded here. The main briefing hall, which is located in the same building with CCC, has a capacity of 450 people and the last briefings before Eagle Sorties and the debriefings after flights are carried out here.

Everyone was wrong: the rout of the Chinese Air Force, Turkey, and its joint military exercises 8 to 0

Bad-mouthing the Chinese air force guys can shut up! According to Reuters, the United States, Russia and Turkey related media reports, the Chinese Air Force and Turkish Air Force conducted joint military exercises in two and a half months, the Chinese Air Force, 8 to 0 rout of rival!***Air Force observed the senior NATO military exercise to express wonder, calling it "the Chinese Air Force's a fantastic performance."

Turkey has carried out two air forces integrated open space and air to air combat exercises. The two sides conducted a total of 9 games against the exercise, but a military exercise in the final only when the Chinese Air Force lost to a courtesy to his opponent. Earlier, Turkish media have the total range of the Chinese Air Force fighter planes flying 6,000 miles to get to that marvel of Turkey, but did not expect them to exercise even more amazing results.

Turkish Air Force to participate in military exercises in 2005 pretty Nov. 14 to 25 participated in the Turkey, Belgium, Israel and the United States Air Force of Four "AE-05 / 4" joint training, joint training in Turkey because of that outstanding performancereceived. Turkish Air Force in the confrontation with the Chinese Air Force after the incredible defeat of Israel, "Haaretz" to "Chinese Air Force, the United States are growing increasingly concerned" as the subject reported the Turkey military exercises, reported in the United States worried to see the the results of soil air force exercises.

Surprising because the results of the exercise, after exercise, only Turkey's official media published a brief report. But "refuses to accept defeat," the have a lot of people, several Turkish newspapers reported last week that Turkey did not use the advanced F16 fighters to participate in military exercises, but the use of the relatively backward F-4 Phantom fighter, technically and China sent Improved Su -27 fighter a poor grade, which leads to a humiliating defeat.

Some foreign media reported that China Su -27 fighter went to Turkey, the full implementation of air refueling, did not use other means of oil security, China's air force showed a strong long-range mobility. According to local media reports in Turkey, the Turkish military exercise to see the strength of the Chinese weapons, its military, the Turkish Government has agreed to buy Chinese-developed air-launched rocket system.

In recent days, consecutive Chinese Su-27 in the "Anatolian Eagle" exercise, 8 to 0 ︰ record losing to Turkey, the news of F4, some users are frustrated. Just saw this type of message, whom I hesitated and two grandparents fighters "labeled" This record, the Chinese Air Force but also three generations of machines and equipment, four power generation machine of the Air Force against it? Now confirmed that this is a confrontational training, the Chinese Su-27 "total defeat" in Turkish F4 just rumors, but only a "rumor" so simple?

"Anatolian Eagle" exercise mode

First time this year, the Chinese Air Force in Turkey, "Anatolian Eagle" Air Force maneuvers, and this is the first time in the Middle East Chinese fighter, extraordinary attention. So, is this what kind of exercise it?

"Anatolian Eagle" exercise, exercise is not the general script, it is actually against the combat environment training activities can also be understood as a fighter and pilot the "real" test. Participating countries are the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Israel, Pakistan and other countries and NATO, Turkey believes that this is the best air in Europe "real" exercise, and the United States can be the famous "Red Flag" exercise comparable.

"Anatolian Eagle" exercise by the red and blue sides of the system into a system of confrontation, the red side as the "imaginary enemy", the blue side for the training side.The red side by the Air Force base in Konya in Turkey as from the air "enemy" forces, airborne early warning aircraft and surface to air missiles, antiaircraft artillery, radar, and some real equipment components; blue side in addition to participating in the training of the main fighters, the rest mainly logistical models and ground radar; obvious gap between the two sides against the system, against the conditions are not right and so on. Not so much a confrontation as it is the blue side to "Tobe sword" is more appropriate; Moreover, the blue side first-class pilots must be a party participating in the training of the players, to get into the training qualifications.

During the exercise process, once the aircraft lifted off the blue side, all the autonomous decision-making tactical moves by the pilots, the ground command and does not provide any help. In the blue side, including a complete combat system of early warning aircraft and other conditions, the blue side in the air situation, offense and defense and so obviously in a weak position, relying on aircraft performance and pilot integrated personal skills, and modern air defense system against the odds no small difficulty. Of course, the harsh conditions of the air combat training, to improve the pilot's actual level is very useful.

Therefore, both will be in training F4 beat Su-27, Su-27 can not prove the true operational performance, nor that the quality of the pilot issue. Personal view that under the conditions of this system does not fight, it is also a single combat aircraft participating in the training tool to attack the enemy's combat capability of air defense system in depth inspection.

System supported by F4 and Su-27 BVR air combat in the hard to compete with

F4 and Su-27, belonging to the second generation machine, the outstanding representatives of three generations of machines. However, two, three generations of machine classification criteria, mainly based on aircraft flight, avionics, fire control and weapons performance gap, if the fighter against the simple, in theory, second-generation machine will strive. But if the airborne early warning, information chain transmission, air defense system of ground combat forces into account, two, three generations of machine operations between the actual performance over the horizon, one is better, which itself is an unknown quantity.

Active duty in the second generation of avionics, fire control and weapons to improve the lot of draws on three generations of machine system, the current second generation of the gap with three generations of machines, mainly reflected in the aerodynamic performance. The main advantage is that the former high-altitude high-speed, which at high subsonic, subsonic, low-altitude range of mobility advantage. Improved Turkish F4 help complete most of the Israeli, avionics, fire control and other electronic systems in the F16 system improved on the basis, and equipped with the most advanced AIM120 U.S. medium-range active-horizon active guided air to air missile. Therefore, in addition to a combat radius and mobility, but under the command of the early warning, F4 and Su-27 were modified in the distance against the more possession before the enemy discovered that the enemy quickly and rapidly from the edge, which itself is a second generation of the pursuit of high-altitude high-speed performance in mind. In other words, the system supported by air combat capability over the horizon modified F4 no worse than the Soviet Union 27.

On the Su-27 stealth, electronics, weapons and equipment performance is concerned, modern integrated air defense system in danger of losing the support of the F4 to change, not frustrating. F4 in which the role is under the command of the early warning aircraft, the use of its high altitude of more than Mach 2 performance, the first placeholder and chasing, in participating in the training machine can not escape into the active homing missile launch area. Therefore, the negative and the air force Su-27 combat strength, or do not recognize this failure, in fact, not objective.

SU-27 defeat on rumors of the Enlightenment F4

SU-27 defeat on the F4's rumor, it also gives us many useful lessons. First and foremost, is a system that forces air conflicts have a confrontation, combat aircraft also are an integral part of the system; a sense, in the BVR air combat conditions, it is the air launched weapons, combat platform. Of course, the subjective level of strategic thinking and tactical level, the direction of the army, strategy level, the will to fight, war, combat skills, comprehensive strength, also has a decisive influence; Therefore, China has sent combat pilots participating in the exercise, there should also be tested andunderstanding of modern air defense system, the independent ability to attack the purpose.

Homeland defense capabilities are not entirely dependent on the number of aircraft and equipment performance, largely depends on the airborne early warning, ground remote-to-air warning, space-based reconnaissance systems, surface to air missile air defense system composed of levels. Similarly, in the long-range raid and other offensive operations, if there is no remote surveillance and transmission of information, and key nodes of enemy combat capability for remote paralysis, just fly away is of no use. From that point on, the Chinese Air Force is still one of territorial air defense combat power.

Construction of both offensive and defensive air force, China's implementation of the changing needs of active defense strategy, but also to defend national sovereignty and integrity, to defend the interests of global cooperation and the development of the necessary requirements. Therefore, in addition to the development and equipment has detected the battlefield and command a certain ability, stealth, high speed and high mobility of the new generation of advanced fighters, the integrated system to enhance long-range offensive operations capacity-building are equally important. At the same time, support the combat power in the system, the reasonable arrangement of high, medium and low model with the proportion of viable, not only in defensive operations, the most important is that you can expand the size of equipment to enhance high-intensity, sustained combat capability.

We also powers comparison and with the surrounding air, for example, Japan has a large, advanced airborne early warning and electronic reconnaissance, air defense, air defense area air defense system of the sea. China's current overall there is a clear gap with them.

Information from, China has the extension of the initial depth of 1000 km above the air defense combat power, but the system was significantly less than the scale of construction, not enough to deal with multi-point, multi-directional, persistent enemy air assault. To the current situation, the establishment of a powerful offensive and defensive type of modern air combat system, with urgency, urgent.

TAIPEI - China may have test-flown the J-18 Red Eagle vertical short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) fighter earlier this month, if chatter on Chinese-language military blogs is accurate.China's defense industry is largely opaque and it is difficult to substantiate Internet chatter. However, Chinese-language military blogs reported the first test flight of the stealthy J-20 Black Eagle fighter in January, much to the surprise of the Western media.

Now there are reports emerging of a test flight of the J-18. Tests were supposedly conducted earlier this month and the fighter is similar to the Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-based fighter.

"In 2005, a Chinese aviation industry source told me the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation was considering a F-35B-like program," said Richard Fisher, vice president of the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center. "Given the PLA's naval power projection ambitions, it is probable there is VSTOL or STOVL [short takeoff and vertical landing] fighter program."

There are "many alleged programs in the Chinese blogosphere," Fisher said.

These include a J-16 built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), which is a stealthier dedicated attack version of the J-11B (Su-27) multirole fighter with active electronically scanned array radar and an internal weapons bay, which will "reportedly emerge this summer," he said.

China is expected to begin sea trials for its first aircraft carrier this summer. Analysts believe the J-15 Flying Shark, a copy of the Sukhoi Su-33, will be China's first carrier-based fighter. SAC procured an earlier prototype of the Su-33 from the Ukraine in 2001 and the J-15 reportedly conducted its first test flight in mid-2009.

There have also been questionable Chinese-language military blogs providing sketchy reporting on J-17 and J-19 fighter programs. Reportedly, the J-17 is long-range fighter-bomber based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-34 and the J-19 is a heavy multirole fighter based on the J-11B.